McLuhanism

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noun

The social ideas of Canadian philosopher Marshall McLuhan (1911–1980).

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Meanings

nounMcLuhanism (uncountable)
  1. uncountableThe social ideas of Canadian philosopher Marshall McLuhan (1911–1980).

    However, how can it then be explained that McLuhanism is more often than not interpreted as (or better: confused with) technological determinism by the bulk of those publishing within the mainstream of Media Studies (van Loon, 2008)?

    2016, Joost van Loon, “The Subject of Media Studies”, in Markus Spöhrer, Beate Ochsner, editors, Applying the Actor-Network Theory in Media Studies (Advances in Media, Entertainment, and the Arts), IGI Global, →ISBN, section 1 (Introduction and Theoretical Concepts), page 55
    2 more examples

    A basic primer on McLuhanism is now becoming available free of charge to Peace Corps members. Understanding Media, one of McLuhan’s more popular books, is contained in the new booklockers being distributed around the Peace Corps village.

    1967 October, Stuart Awbrey, Paul Reed, “The media missionaries”, in Peace Corps Volunteer, volume V, number 12, Washington, D.C.: The Office of Volunteer Support, Peace Corps, page 8

    Finally, McLuhanism is ambiguous on the post-modern ‘reversal’ in which reality is construed as a textual, symbolic and absent construction rather than the immediate existence and ‘givenness’ to experience that common sense and empiricism assume is foundational, even if open to debate.

    2005, Christopher Horrocks, “Understanding virtuality – links between McLuhan and narratives of new media”, in Gary Genosko, editor, Marshall McLuhan: Critical Evaluations in Cultural Theory, volume III (Renaissance for a wired world), London; New York, N.Y.: Routledge, →ISBN, part 1 (Rise of the cybernation), page 72

Origin

From McLuhan + -ism.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

McLuhanism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/McLuhanism

MLA

“McLuhanism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/McLuhanism. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “McLuhanism,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/McLuhanism.

Source: McLuhanism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.